Illuminated music rack



May 5, 1942. w. E. JANSSEN ILLUMINATED MUSIC RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 15, 1940 INVENTOR.

if gym BY ATTORNEY.

May 5, 1942. w. E. JANSSEN ILLUMINATED MUSIC RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 15, 1940 I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED MUSIC BACK7 Webster E. Janssen, Westport, Conn.

Application March 15, 1940, Serial No. 324,050

3 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminated music racks and is hereindescribed in some detail as embodied in a music rack or support which isadapted to be built into one of the most compact forms of modernstandard-keyboard pianos and which may also serve to throw shieldedlight on the keys thus enabling the piano to be easily played in adarkened room with light on both the music and the keys.

One of the annoying problems which seriously disturbs musicians inplaying a piano is the proper lighting of sheet music which for theconvenience of the musicians stands onthe usual music rack above thekeyboard, and the rack often forming part of the front of the uppercasing of the piano.

Often the most satisfactory lighting of the music is obtained by placinga lighted highstandard floor lamp near one shoulder of the musician.Attempts have been made to provide attachments to be afllxed to thepiano to provide suitable lights and racks, but they are awkward toattach to many pianos, must be attached oarefully to avoid marring thepiano, are exposed and so become gatherers of dust, and do notordinarily fit at the most convenient height for the musician.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objectionsand disadvantages are overcome, and a piano-music lighted support isprovided which may be built into many of the most compact pianos, doesnot project from the piano when not in use, holds the music atthe mostconvenient height, and is well adapted to be used in a darkened room soas to ive the musician a highly effective lighting of both music andkeys and yet throw no light elsewhere to blind the eyes of an audience.

The invention is herein disclosed in some detail as embodied in acompact piano having a horizontally sliding fall board which slipsbackwardly away from the keys.

In the form shown the shelf above the fall board, or, at least, thecentral portion of the shelf is slidable forwardly and the front part ofthe shelf is adapted to be swung upwardly and backwardly so as to becomea music rack.

In 'the form shown, the lifting of the rack uncovers a light concealedbeneath the shelf so that the light may shine upwardly and rearwardlyagainst sheet music resting on the shelf, thus effectively illuminatingthe music by light wholly concealed from the musician and audience.

The light is shown as shining through a transparent sheet which formspart of the rest on which the music may be set.

If desired the light may also shine through a front slot to illuminatethe keyboard.

When the music rack is out of use, it is shown as usually swungforwardly and downwardly to cover the light and then pushed rearwardlyuntil the top of the rack becomes the front of the shelf.

If desired the light may be normally extinguished and only lighted whenthe rack is swung upwardly.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a sectional side view of one embodiment of the inventiontaken on the line. l-i of Figure 3.

Figure 2 sectional front view of the same taken on the line 22 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the parts seen in Figure 1 with the slidablesection in closed position.

Figure 4 is a sectional side view on the line 5-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional front view of a roller track for the rack rolleron line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional side view of the track of Figure 5 on the line6-6 of that figure.

The invention is shown as embodied in a commercial form of piano inwhich keys ID, at the front ends of downwardly extending levers H, liebehind a lip l2.

A horizontally fall board 13 may be drawn forward upon slides It! tocover the keys and its pivotedfront portion l5 may be dropped to closethe space in front of the keys.

Inthe form shown the fall board I3 is caused to move parallel to itselfby a rock shaft l6 extending across the piano above the key levers II,and carrying at each end a rock arm l1, pivoted to a link I1, which inturn is suitably pivoted to the fall board [3.

The fall board I 3 is arrested at the front end of its travel by stops(9 which limit the throw of the rock arms l1, and is arrested at therear end of its travel by a stop 20.

The type of piano shown, usually includes an upper front wall 22 abovethe fall board with a shelf 23 between the fall board and the upperfront wall 22. According to the embodiment of the invention shown theshelf 23 includes fixed end sections 24 and a central slidable section25. the central slidable section music rack carried on end In the formshown, 25 takes the form of a pivots or rods 26 near its foot, saidpivots sliding in rails or tracks 21 so that when it is swung forwardlyand downwardly it may be pushed rearwardly beneath the bottom 28 Of thewall 22 until it strikes a rear stop 29, and its front end rests onsmall felt buffers 30, near each margin of the section or rack 25.

To cause the rack 25 to slide easily and smooth- 1y parallel to itself,in the form shown there is provided a rock shaft 3| joumalled at thebackof the wall 22 "well above the tracks '21, and the rock shaft 3| carriesat each end a rock arm 32 pivotally connected to a link 33, the linksbeing,

shown as hinged to the foot 34 of the rock 25.

When the rack 25 stands nearly upright, in position to hold sheet music,the pivots 26- rest 7 in detaining depressions 35 at the front ends ofthe tracks 21, thus holding 'the'front face 36 of 3 its base against theback of a removable cross or foot wall 31, with the result that the racknatu rally falls back a little into music-holdingposition and is held bythe depressions just clear of the top 58 of the front wall 22.

In its upright position the rack 25 is shown as lighted by an electriclight 39, shown in the form of an elong'atedbulb lying horizontallyalong the back 40 of a lower front wall 4|, shown as just above thefront edge of the fall board l3 when the fall board is in its rearmostposition.

The bulb'39 lights up any music resting on the rack 25 because the crosswall 31, shown as a fiat board, contains a glass or other transparentstrip 42 overlying the bulb 39 resting in rabbets 43 of the foot wall31. To facilitate the resting of music on the cross wall 31, and to aidin the backward throwing of the light fromthe bulb 39, the cross wall sothat it makes about a right angle with the rack 25 as it lies inclinedalmost against the edge 38 of the wall 22.

The glass strip rear rabbet 44 of cross wall 31. I V V The light of thebulb 39 is additionally thrown upwardly and rearwardly by abentmetaljre- 42 is -shownas also resting on a the ornamental front 45 ofthe 'flectorj46; forming about a semi-circle around its bottom andfront. r To keep the heat of the bulb 39 away from the key levers andfinely finished fall board i3, the

cross board 41 above the fallboard |3is shown with its top covered by anasbestos mat 48.

The bulb 39 is shown as utilized to-light the front 49 of the keys H),For thispurpose a downwardly inclined narrow slot50 is provided inthefront wall 4 I, so set thatthe slot throws the light on the keys whileconcealing any direct light, and it is slightly tapered inwardly fromits outer face 5|, and as shown in Figure 2, is taperedtoflare at itsends 52 .to throw light towards the end keys I0 of the'piano keyboard.

I The music rack 25 is shown with a projecting 7 central handle 51 whichalso serves to add to the 31 is shown as sloping rearwardlyoverweighting of its front and causes it to lift its pivots '25 out ofthe depressions 35 when resting on the feltbufiers 30, with the resultthat it i slides back easily.

In cases where the heat of the bulb 39 is considered serious, it may bereplaced by an elong'ated. tube ofthe-so-caIled cold light of thefluorescent type."

r Havingthus described certain embodiments of the invention,' w'hat isclaimed is.

'1; "A lighting device for a keyboard musical in-' strument including afront instrument wall having a slot therein parallel to the keyboard, afootboard extending rearwardly from the top thereof, a music rackcooperating with said footboard to support sheet music, a lampbehind thewall and below said footboard, alight transmitting strip in the footboard to permit the light from said lamp to illuminate said'music, and areflector for the lamp including a slot aligned with the wall slotthrough which light from said lamp illuminates said keyboard. Y

'2 1A lighting device for a keyboard musical instrume'nt including afront instrument wall having a slot therein parallel to the keyboard, afootboard extending rearwardly from the top thereof, a music rackcooperating with said footboard to support sheet music, a cold typefluorescent lamp behind the wall and below said footboard, a lighttransmitting strip in the footboard to permit the lightfrom said lamp toilluminate said music, and a reflector for the lamp including a slotaligned with the wall slot through which light fromsaid lamp illuminatessaid keyboard.

33A lighting device for a keyboard musical ins'trument, including a'front instrument wall, a fall-board for the keys slidable in and outbeneath the wall, a music support adapted to form part of a shelf, alamp behind the wall and above the fall-board, a footboard against whichthe support rests to support music, a transparent strip in the footwallto cause the light to shine on music on the rack, and a reflectorfor thelamp including a slot through which light shines from the lamp through aslot in the wall on the keys A WEBSTER E. JANSSEN.

